John m



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet. I. J M SWEET WHEEL MANUFAGTURING MACHINE.

No. 427,021. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J M SWEET WHEEL MANUFACTURING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

UNITED STATES ATENT FICE- JOHN M. SIVEET, OF BATAVIA, NEYV YORK,ASSIGNOR TO THE BATAVIA WHEEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WHEEL-MANUFACTURING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,021, dated April29, 1890.

Application filed October 22, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SWEET, a citizen of the United States,residing at Batavia, in the county of Genesee and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Machine for Manufacturing Wheels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in' wheel-making machines in whichthe spokes are held automatically in a true position radially whilebeing driven into the hub, as well as while the telly is being fitted tothe spokes; and the objects of myimprovements are, first, to provide amechanism whereby the hub may in spoke-driving be secured to a wheelhaving upon the peripheral face laterallyprojecting spacing-pins, bywhich the spokes are held in a radial line with the spokemortise, sothat after being driven the spokes will stand with their outer endsequidistantly apart, and, second,to arrange for clamping the spokes inan equidistant position and holding the same in such position while thefelly or rim is being placed thereupon. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a perspective view of the machine having the hub secured thereto andin position for driving the spokes into the hub. Fig. 2 is a side viewof same with portions broken away for showing the several parts. Fig. 3is a modification of Fig. 1, wherein the hub-clamping jaws are removedand a lateral pin substituted in place of the jaws for holding the hubin position while driving the spokes. Fig. i is a perspective view ofthe spacing-wheel shown in Fig. 1, arranged for holding the hub-drivenspokes in an equidistant position until the rim may be secured thereto;and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4 and face view of the rim-spokeholder shown in Fig. 1 detached.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

To those conversant with the art of wheelmaking it is known that whenthe spokes are driven into the hub by hand great skill must Serial No.327,870. (No model.)

in their normal condition, as the least variation in the sides of themortise or bending the spoke when driving will cause a greatlyincreaseddeflection at the outer end thereof, which defect can only be remedied(after the spoke is seated in the hub) by a side bending of the spoke,causing it to remain bent even after the rim is in place, which greatlydetracts froin the beauty as well as usefulness of the wheel.

To quickly and truly secure the spoke to the hub and apply the rimthereto, so that the spokes will be equidistantly spaced upon thecompletion of the wheel, I employ two rings A A, the one A having thecross-supporting bars to securely attached thereunto and provided withlateral pins to of a number corresponding with the spokes of the wheel,which pins are evenly spaced and secured at one end to the face of thering. The corresponding rim A is also provided with like pins,(designated (L2,) which are secured to the ring in close proximity tothe slot made centrally of the width of the ring, and with the pinsequidistantly spaced, which pins are of dimensions corresponding withthe width of the slot and of pins a, through which slot the said pins apass, and in such manner that the ring A is made to turn upon the ring Ato a degree corresponding to the'length of the slot for the purpose ofcausing the impingement of a pin against either side of the spoke,thereby forming a guide to the spoke in the act of driving into the hub,also producing a clamp for securing the driven spokes in an equidistantposition while the rim is being placed thereupon. For the convenience ofturning this movable ring an eccentric bar B is used, the end I) beingsecured to the ring A, while the leg 6 is attached to ring A, theoperatingdever 0, having the disk 0 eccentrically attached thereto,being pivoted at its inner end to the ring A, so that as the free end ofthe lever is moved to the right or left the ring A will by theeccentrical connection be correspondingly moved thereby, adjusting thespace between the pins so as to accommodate large or small sized spokes,or tightly clamp the same, as may be desired. hen these spacing-ringsare to be used in spoke-driving, an arbor D may be secured to thecross-bars (1, extending rearwardly therefrom, which arbor is made toturn (and with it the rings) in bearing-boxes (Z, secured to the tableE, the legs of which may be bolted to the floor of the shop. Upon theface side of the ring cross-bars reverse from the arbor is fastened aclutch-bar F, carrying the sliding heads f, which heads are operated bythe screw-rod f, one end of which is provided with a right-handedscrew-thread, while the reverse end has a left-handed screw-thread,which is made to turn in corresponding screwnuts attached to the insideof the sliding heads, and so arranged that as the screw-rod is turned tothe right or left the sliding heads will be made to approach or recedefrom each other in equal proportions.

Upon the inner edges of the sliding heads are diamond-shaped notches fwithin which notches rests the hub as the slides are by thescrew-threaded mechanism drawn thereagainst, and in such manner that thehub will be accurately centered longitudinally in line with the arbor.It will be understood, of course, that the bar F and sliding heads fareprovided with the usual dovetail edges or the common gibbed sides, sothat the heads and bar will be held together and kept from lateraldisplacement.

G are other adjustable heads dovetailingly placed upon the plate G andoperated by a screw g, having right and'left screwends simi' lar to theclutch mechanism hereinbefore described, by which the front end of thehub is held in true position while the spokes are being driven. Thisway-plate G is secured to the upright post G which rises from theslotted base G", the parts being securely braced each to the other, sothat a firm support is given the forward end of the hub. This base mayrest upon the floor or other suitable foundation, and is provided with aslot g, through which rises the cared bolt g between which cars ispivoted the cam foot-lever g The bolt 9 is made fast at its lower end tothe fioor underneath the base G and in line with the slot in the same,so that the entire supporting mechanism may be drawn back or movedforward to permit the removal of the wheel or placing the hub inposition for driving the spokes therein. \Vhen this support is to bemoved, the cam-lever g may be raised by the foot of the operator, so asto loosen the hold of the cam upon the base, and when in position thelever can by the foot be again brought down, thereby locking the partsin a fixed position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the entire back clutch arrangementis dispensed with (the front support being used or not, as desired) andthe hub is placed upon the spindle D, the same being a continuation ofthe arbor D, and is thereupon so as to turn with the arbor by means ofthe impingement of the nut 71. upon the forward end of the hub,

which causes the rear end to adhere to the shoulder D clamping the hub,so that the whole will revolve together while the spokes are driven, oneat a time, in the mortise upon the upper side of the hub. The spoke-gage71.2 may be attached to the spindle, as shown in Fig. 3, or in any otherwell-known manner.

In order that the spokes may (until the rim is placed thereupon) be heldin the equidistant position attained in the driving, the spacing-ringarrangement hereinbefore described is placed upon the legs J, two ofwhich are shown in Fig. i, the legs being secured to the lower ring attheir top ends, with the pins a a in an upright position, between whichpins the driven spokes are again placed, (the hub being placed upon thecenter pin,) and after the wheel has been clamped in position by theclamp mechanism hereinbefore mentioned the workman proceeds to placethereupon the rim, (shown in dotted lines and designated 1,) whichretains the spokes in their true equidistant position, and therebycompleting the wheel ready for ironing.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the fixed spacingring having a series of pinsprojecting from the face thereof, the movable spacing-ring, with itsattached pins, coacting with the stationary ring and pins, thering-supporting mechanism, and the hub centering and holding deviceattached to and co-operating with the rings for the purpose ofequidistantly retaining the spokes while in the process ofwheel-manufacturing, substantially as herein specified and set forth.

2. The combination, with the ring spokespacing mechanism, of the outerend hubsupporting device consisting of the adjustable clamping-jaws, thejaw-supporting bed, the jaw-adjusting screw, the upright jawsupportingpost, the adjustable slotted base secured thereto, and the base-lockingdevice adapted for adjustingly securing the base, with its co-operatingparts, in the desired position, substantially as described, and for thepurpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the ring mechanism, consisting of one fixedring and onemovable ring, with the spoke-spacing pins projectinglaterally from the face thereof, of the longitudinal arbor, thearbor-bearing boxes, and the arborsupporting table arranged forpermitting the rings, with the attached hub, to be revolved for thepurpose of driving the spokes in the uppermost part of the hub,substantially as described and set forth.

4. The combination of the stationary spacin g-ring secured to uprightlegs and provided with a series of pins projecting beyond the face ofthe ring, the movable spacing-ring haviu g a series of slots, with a pinprojecting from the ring contiguous to each slot and. in

line with the pins in the stationary ring, one of which passes througheach slot, the hubcentering pin, and the ring-operating cam adapted foruse in operating the movable ring, so that each of the hub-driven spokeswill be clamped between two of the pins for the purpose of holding thesame in an equidistant position while the rim is being secured thereto,substantially as described and herein set forth.

JOHN M. SWEET. Witnesses:

G. W. FORD, F. RICHARDSON.

